Saint Lawrence River and Quebec City. 8/28

Finished the Gaspe Peninsula this morning. Began the day riding in the rain but managed to outrun the clouds rest of the day.

Rode along the Saint Lawrence River the rest of the day. Gorgeous. Surprised how beautiful it is. Reminded me of France. As soon as you leave one small village, you see the steeple of the church up ahead. Adorable small houses, some very distinctive.

Arrived in Quebec City late afternoon. The old town below the Chateau Frontenac really is very Disney-like, an artificial sameness in all the over-priced restaurants and boutiques. We did enjoy riding the bike around the other areas of Quebec City.

Gaspe Peninsula and food. 8/27

Another day along the Gaspe. Beautiful and good riding.

A passing truck signaled we had dropped something. Our food bag had fallen off our bike. Casualties: box of mushrooms, can of milk, most of our oatmeal, and the bag itself.

We have been eating healthy on this trip. We meet oatmeal in camp or a cheap breakfast, fruit for lunch, and prepare our own dinner. Memorable meals include: sautéed mushrooms and onions with mashed potatoes; chili with sharp cheddar, fritos, and cauliflower; and sandwiches with avocado, Camembert, cucumber, and tomato on fresh baguette.

Aroostook State Park, buttered toast with caramel, and Gaspe Peninsula

Woke up at the Aroostook State Park campground. Headed out on a short hike for South Peak, a quick 3/4 mile hike. Turned out to be a super-steep 3 mile loop that included North Peak. All before breakfast.

Crossed over into Canada. Ate breakfast in a local diner where they served buttered toast with caramel topping. Bloody genius. And delicious.

Spent the rest of the day along the coastal highway of the Gaspe Peninsula. The ocean to our right, village after village. It is not an overly developed area-- modest family homes, businesses, and cemeteries are still ocean- front.

We stayed at Camp Auberge de Pabos. The campground was full of motor homes, close to the ocean.

Acadia National Park and Dean's gym 8/25

Went out to eat with Dean and Penny at This Way Cafe in Bar Harbor. Pretty people everywhere in this town.

Drove through Acadia National Park with our hosts. The Park had almost 2 1/2 million visitors last year. There is a 20 mile loop for cars to drive (this is a small park) plus 45 miles of carriage roads. Amazing views and a Sandy Beach.

Our friend Dean showed us his gym upstairs in his house. No wonder he is in such great shape. I now have gym envy.

Highway 1, Belfast, and Bar Harbor 9/24

Entered Highway 1 along the coast. Stopped in Belfast, Maine for lunch. Friends told us that 20 years ago Belfast had a chicken plant right along the water-- you could watch the body parts float by... Very different now- pretty.

We arrived in Bar Harbor around 3:00. Incredibly busy tourist town. We stayed with our cycling friend Dean and his wife Penny. They cooked lobsters and taught us the fine art of de-shelling the meat. After five nights of camping, a bed, bath, and laundry were very much appreciated.

Pros and cons of bicycle versus motorcycle touring

Ate breakfast in Ludlow, Vermont where we met a bicycle tourist. I envied his appetite, fatigue, and accomplishment. Got me thinking about the pros and cons of bicycle versus motorcycle touring:

Bicycling pros: health benefits; increased appetite; slower pace; builds self-esteem; ability to create your own heat; cyclists are more interesting people; easier to chat with companions while riding.

Motorcycling pros: feels like flying; can cover distances faster; little physical effort.

Bicycling cons: increased appetite (eating becomes a chore); fatigue; sore ass; easier target for angry motorists.

Motorcycling cons: requires gasoline (as opposed to calories); sore ass; sitting on your butt all day; weather more of an issue-- cold and wet is miserable.

Headed out of Vermont into New Hampshire. The White Mountain National Forest was amazing. Camped at Sebago Lake State Park in Maine, crowded with families but pleasant.

Lonely Catskills and Entering Vermont

This morning we woke to a beautiful day, stretched and went running (well, jogging). I'm surprised how sore I have been after riding 6-7 hours. But I don't want to use that as an excuse to not exercise.

Headed out of the Catskills, stopping at Katerskill Falls. After parking, we walked a quarter mile along a busy highway to the Falls, much more dangerous than riding the motorcycle. Not sure it was worth the risk.

The Catskills appear a bit down on their luck. At least half of the roadside restaurants are out of business, the towns are very quiet, and few cars are at the hotels. I wonder what it was like in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Now it just seems lonely.

Entered Vermont by twisting back roads, riding through small villages at low speeds. Not much traffic. Found a great campground-- Winhall Campground at Bald Mountain Lake. great = cheap ($18), pretty, free hot showers, and a wifi area with outlets.

Fast miles, Phoenicia, and the deserted drugstore.

Ate a good, filling, and cheap breakfast in Lancaster. Two eggs, toast, potatoes, and coffee for $5. Went by the Harley Davidson factory. Saw many bald headed men with one pierced ear heading to work.

Today we rode fast to make up time lost due to rain. Four lane highways rather than back roads. I have been surprised by our slow pace. Originally I imagined us riding only four hours a day, covering 200 miles. Wrong.

After we set up camp at the state campground in the Catskills, we headed to Phoenicia, a little town with ice cream, pizza, grocery store, and Grateful Dead fans. The coolest thing in town was a shut-down drugstore with all the merchandise inside. Everything was faded from the sun and a layer of dust was on the counters. Prescriptions were filed, waiting to be picked up by customers.

There has to be a story here...

Skyline Drive and the Deserted Campground. 8/20/2012

Woke up to no rain! Ate breakfast at the Big Meadows Lodge. Cheap breakfast with wonderful coffee. Headed out at 9:00 a.m. Leisurely is our style.

Drove to Harpers Ferry. John was surprised at the sites-- great natural beauty, historic town, John Brown information, and ice cream. There was also the John Brown wax museum. John talked me out of paying the seven dollar entrance fee... but I already regret the decision. John Brown AND a wax museum- TOGETHER!! I shall return.

We were on the bridge that crosses the Potomac when a train passed within three feet. Fun and scary.

We have been riding fewer miles than planned due to the rain. Tonight we stopped right as it began to pour rain. The Indian Rock Campground near York. The place seemed deserted. Gunshots heard nearby. Big flocks of black birds circling overhead. We sat under an awning for two hours, waiting for the rain to let up.

"Pennsylvania-- Philadelphia at one end, Pittsburg at the other, and Alabama in between."

Rainy day on the Parkway. 8/19/2012

Woke to rain. Debated to stay or venture out. Headed out in cold rain. Discovered my rain pants are not really rain pants.

After a couple of hours, headed off the Parkway to look for breakfast. Ended up in Buena Vista. Nothing but fast food open on this Sunday morning. Ate at Hardees. Do you know you can buy a double cheeseburger, chili dog, fries, apple pie, and soda for $5? Those have to be the cheapest 2000 calories ever.

Once the fog lifted, it was a beautiful ride along Skyline Drive. Amazing views made more dramatic by the clouds. But riding in the rain is difficult, riding while cold is even more difficult so we called it quits 50 miles early. Pulled into the Big Meadows Campground.

Hot showers and a dryer for our clothes-- so wonderful, hard to describe. Hung out in the warm lodge, drank some cocoa, and played with our electronic toys.

Beginning of a motorcycle ramble 8/18/2012

Dropped Emma of at university to begin her freshman year. Sad to leave her but excited about the next five months. John and I are on sabbatical. Our house has been rented and we are on the road. Two and a half weeks in campgrounds between North Carolina and Quebec plus four months in France.

Leaving Chapel Hill, it didn't take long to leave behind the urban and enter beautiful Virginia. After riding for 4 hours we camped at Peaks of Otter, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got in at dark, made Mac and cheese, and drank cocoa. No showers in campground-- fine with me. Freed from the tyranny of hygiene.